Joseph i



(No Model.)

J. I. OONKLIN, Jr.

ELECTRIC ALARM CLOCK. No. 270,639. Patented Jan.16,1883.

Jami/90b M 7 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH I. OONKLIN, JR, or NEW roRK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC ALARM-CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,639, dated January 16, 1883,

Application filed February 93, 1882. (No model.)

'hand comes into contact as it revolves over them. There are also four circuit-closing studs that the minute-hand comes into contact with at the quarter-hours. The studs of the row first named are connected to switch-plate studs in such a manner that by the insertion of conducting-pegs the alarm-bell can be rung at any one or more hours or quarter-hours. This is .very useful in cases where night-watchmen and others want to be aroused at particular times, because said alarm can be set to ring every quarter of an hour, or at any desired intervals of greater length, or at any one or more times during the twelve hours, by the simple insertion of the pins at the switchplates corresponding to the hour or other time when it is desired to ring the alarm.

In the drawing I have represented the dial and the switch-board and connections to several ofthe dial-pins, and thecircuit-connections to the battery and the repeating-bell.

The dial a is provided with a circular row of circuit-closing pins, 1). These are placed at equal distances apart. It the clock is made so that it can be set to ring every half-hour, there will be twenty-four such pins; if every quarter-hour, there will be forty-eight such pins; ifevery ten minutes, there will be seventy-two such pins.

I have represented the improvement as adapted to an alarm every fifteen minutes. The hour-hand (1 passes across these studs or circuit-closing pins. and it has a little spring of platina that rubs upon them to produce electric contact. The minute-hand f is similarly provided witha contact-spring to rub against the contact-pins 1 that are placed farther out on thedials, and with halt-hour alarms there will be two studs (at 12 and 6) for the spring of the hand to come into contact with. I have shown four such studs for quarterhour circuit-closers, and these are connected by branch wires to one of the circuit-wires, 15. The strips or bars I and m are connected to one pole of the battery 0. The other pole goes by the automatic alarm or magnetic vibrator t, thence to the Wire 15 and four studs or contact-pins, i. There are four ranges ofswitchstuds, one range at each side of each bar Z or, and each range is to be twelve in number for the whole twelve hours. Each switch-stud is made in any known way. I have shown them each-as a section of a pipe at one side of a hole for the reception of a conducting switch-pin. The circular range of studs or pins 1) is connected to the ranges of studs at the sides of the switch-plates ion-that is to say, all the studs in the circular row corresponding to the hour-marks are brought in succession to the studs 6 in the top row, all the quarter-hour pins to the second row, It, the half-hour pins to the third row, 1), and the three-quarterhour pins to the fourth row, 8, indicated by some of the wires that are shown on the drawing. The electric circuit cannot be completed except through some one or more of the conducting switch-pins. If, for instance, there is a pin in the hole corresponding with half-past two, as shown, the hour-hand will rest upon the corresponding stud, I), for several minutes; but the bell will only ring during the time that the minute-hand is passing across the stud or pin t at the outside edge of the figure 6 on the dial, the current passing from the battery by the switch-bar m, conductingpin o, and wire to the hour-hand, thence through the minute-hand and the stud t'(at 6)- ployed to traverse a circular range of pins to which circuit-wires and switch-pins are ap-l The combination, with the clock-dial and plied, the hands of the clock do not perform any duty and the circuitis not in any manner connected with them. In instances where the hands have been employed to close the circuit movable pins and similar devices have been used. These are liable to become misplaced and to interfere with the movement of the hands.

. In myimprovement the dial-pins are allfixed,

and no changes or adjustments have to bemade at or near the hands; hence the clock is not liable to be stopped or the hands misplaced,

and the hands have a uniform series of contacts, regardless of the direction in which the circuit may be connected.

I claim as my invention-- circuit-closing hands, of two circular ranges of dial-pins, one range for each hand, the battery connected with one range of pins for one of the hands, switch-bars also connected to the battery, and circuit-connections from the range of-dial-pins for the other hand to the opposite sides, respectively, of the switch-bars and the movable switch-pin, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 18th day of February, A. D. 1882.

J. I. UONKLIN, JR.

Witnesses:

Gno. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. Mor'r. 

